Uttarakhand police propose 10-year imprisonment for mass conversions

DEHRADUN : The Uttarakhand Police have proposed making mass conversions punishable by up to 10-year imprisonment and ₹25,000 fine through an amendment to the state’s anti-conversion law passed in 2018, people aware of the matter said.

The proposal has been made in a report submitted last week after chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met top police officers and sought suggestions on how to make the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act stronger to check conversions.

A police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they suggested some new provisions on the lines of Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law. “The existing Act in the state (Uttarakhand) is very weak as it has no provisions for punishment for those involved in mass conversions... family members of a victim of forced or wrongful religious conversions can file a complaint case against the accused in court which then directs the district magistrate concerned for registering an FIR. We have proposed a provision under which the police can register an FIR on the basis of a complaint of family members,” the officer said.

Dhami in September said information will be gathered about incidents of forced religious conversions and the so-called “love jihad”.

The state police chief Ashok Kumar said they have given suggestions to the government, and it is up to it to make a decision. “During the meeting last month, we told the CM we have to make the law stronger like the one in Uttar Pradesh. We have proposed suggestions on imprisonment and penalty accordingly.”